Pipe aligning tool



Jan- 24, 1967 w. H. FITZPATRICK' 3,300,205

PIPE ALIGNING TOOL Filed Nov. 6, 1954 United States Patent Filed Nov. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 409,437 9 Claims. (Cl. 269-154) This invention relates to a portable tool for aligning and clamping pipes and like cylindrical members, preliminary to the butt-welding or other securement of the same together.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a more efficient, and more easily used, light-weight device of the kind indicated, which is adapted to be carned to the particular places, on a job, where the work is to be done, and can be used in vertical, horizontal, or angled positions, for tack welding butted pipes and the like, which are then to be removed from the device and butt-welded.

Another object' of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which is composed of. a small number of simple and easily assembled parts, has unusual strength, without excess weight, and which is designed for ease and speed of operation, to open and closed positions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, wherein a single operating lever is used, which has an eccentric cam which serves to roll articles to be aligned and joined, into place, in stationary jaws and against longitudinal guide members, and then to clamp the articles in place.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view, showing a device of the invention, in relation to two pipes, preliminary to the pipes being engaged in the device, the device vbeing open;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse section taken onl the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view, showing the device in closed position, with aligned pipes clamped therein.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a pair of similar longitudinally spaced, hook-shaped jaws 10, of at bar material, having straight Shanks 12 and substantially semi-circular crooks 14. As shown in FIGURE 2, the concave edges 16 of the crooks 14 are semi-circular, and are of a diameter slightly larger than that of the outside diameter of the pipe or the like to be accommodated. The edges 16 extend slightly beyond one-half of the circumference of the pipe.

The jaws 10, 10 are spaced and connected together, in parallelism, by a rst tubular cross member 18, welded, at its ends, as indicated at 20, to the jaws, at locations centered with respect to the rounded front or free ends 22 of the jaw crooks 14. A second tubular cross member 24 is welded, at its ends, as indicated at 26, to the jaw crooks, at locations spaced above and behind the first cross member 18, that is, at locations adjacent to the mergings of the jaw shanks 12 into the crooks 14, with major portions of the cross member 24 reaching below the lower edges 2S of the jaw shanks 12.

The first cross member 18 has a longitudinal guide rib 30 which is welded, as indicated at 32, to the top of the rst cross member 18, at a location spaced forwardly from a perpendicular plane passing through the cross member. The rib 30 is rearwardly and upwardly angled, relative to the horizontal, and has a at upper edge 34 which is rearwardly and downwardly angled, relative to the horizontal.

The second cross member 24 has a longitudinal guide rib 36 which is welded, as indicated at 38, to the second cross member 24, at a location spaced below a horizontal Faice diameter thereof, the rib 36 being normal to the cross member 24, and angled forwardly 'and downwardly, relative to the horizontal. The rib 36 has a flat right-angular outer edge 38.

A longitudinal pivot pin 40 extends between the jaws 10, through bores 42, formed through and adjacent to the free ends 44, of the jaw Shanks 12, at locations spaced downwardly from the longitudinal centerlines of the Shanks, and spaced forwardly from the first cross member 18. The ends of the pivot pin 40 are plug-welded in place, as indicated at 46.

A clamping and positioning lever assembly 48 comprises a longitudinally elongated cylindrical cam 50, which extends between the jaws 10, and is formed with a longitudinal bore 52 which is concentric relative to the axis of the cam, and receives and rotates on the pivot pin 40.

A straight bar handle 54 is xed radially to the middle of cam 50, at a location of about 70 from the axis of the pivot pin 40. In the open position of the device, the handle 54 is in a rearward horizontal position, resting upon the second cross member 24, as shown in FIGURE 2, in full lines.

In the closed position of the device, the nose 56 of the cam 50 bears forcibly against the front of the top of pipes P, thereby forcing the pipes against the edges of the ribs 30 and 36 and into axial alignment with each other, with the handle 54 bearing against the front sides of the pipes, in a downwardly and forwardly angled position, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 2. This stop engagement of the handle 54 with the pipes serves to prevent rotation of the cam 50 to an over-center position.

In use and operation, the pipes to be tack-welded are engaged in the jaws 10 and their adjacent ends abutted, preferably midway between the jaws. The handle 54 is then rotated forwarnly and downwardly, so that the cam 50 engages and rolls the pipes into engagmeent with guide ribs, and iinally clamps the pipes in place. The pipe ends are then tack-welded together, and the device removed therefrom, the butt-welding of the pipes being performed after the removal of the device.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a pair of pipes arranged in end to end relationship, a pair of spaced and iixedly connected and aligned jaws, said jaws partially embracing related ones of said pipes, at least two aligners xed to and extending between said jaws, said aligners being spaced from each other around the pipes, and rotary earn means extending between the jaws and journalled thereon, said cam means being positioned on the jaws to engage the sides of the pipes remote from said aligners, and means for rotating the cam means to force the pipes into enga gement with the aligners.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said aligners comprise cross members, having sides facing the pipes, said sides having guide ribs thereon having outer edges disposed to engage related sides of the pipes.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said aligners comprise cross members, having sides facing the pipes, said sides having guide ribs thereon having outer edges disposed to engage related sides of the pipes, sald outer edges being angled relative to each other for conforming engagements with areas of the related sides of the pipes at points spaced around the pipes.

4. A portable pipe aligning tool comprising a pair of parallel spaced jaws adapted to receive pipes in abutted relationship, means spacing and connecting said jaws, and a pipe positioning and clamping assembly extending between the jaws and pivoted thereon, said means cornprising at least two circumferentially spaced pipe guiding members.

5. A portable pipe aligning tool comprising a pair of parallel spaced jaws adapted to receive pipes in abutted relationship, means spacing and connecting said jaws, and a pipe positioning and clamping assembly extending between the jaws and pivoted thereon, said means comprising at least two circumferentially spaced pipe guiding members, said members having longitudinal ribs projecting therefrom, said ribs having outer edges against which pipes bear.

6. A portable pipe aligning tool according to claim 1, wherein said assembly comprises a pivot pin extending between the jaws, a longitudinally elongated cam extending between the jaws and journaled on said pin, said cam having a nose adapted to engage pipes engaged in the jaws, and a handle fixed to the cam.

7. A portable pipe aligning tool comprising a-pair of parallel spaced jaws, said jaws being J-shaped and having straight Shanks and arcuate crooks, said crooks having concave semi-circular edges larger in diameter than pipes to be accommodated in the crooks, a first cross member extending between and fixed to the free ends of the crooks, a second cross member extending between and lixed to the crooks, said second cross member being circumferentially spaced around the crooks from said first cross member, said cross members having longitudinally elongated pipe guiding ribs iixed thereto, and a pipe positioning and clamping assembly extending between and pivoted on the jaw Shanks at their free ends.

8. A portable pipe aligning tool according to claim 7, wherein said assembly comprises a pivot pin extending between and 'ixed to the jaw Shanks, a longitudinally elongated cam extending between the jaws and journaled over said pivot pin, and a lateral handle lixed on the cam.

9. A portable pipe aligning tool according to claim 7, wherein said assembly `comprises a pivot pin extending between and fixed to the jaw Shanks, a longitudinally elongated cam extending between the jaws and journaled over said pivot pin, and a lateral handle lixed on the cam, Said cam being eccentrically journaled on said pin and having a semi-cylindrical nose extending the length of the cam.

Reerences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,459 6/1954 Dodson et al 269-236 WILLIAM W. DYER, IR, Primary Examiner. W. D. BRAY, Examiner. 

7. A PORTABLE PIPE ALIGNING TOOL COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED JAWS, SAID JAWS BEING J-SHAPED AND HAVING STRAIGHT SHANKS AND ARCUATE CROOKS, SAID CROOKS HAVING CONCAVE SEMI-CIRCULAR EDGES LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN PIPES TO BE ACCOMMODATED IN THE CROOKS, A FIRST CROSS MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO THE FREE ENDS OF THE CROOKS, A SECOND CROSS MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO THE CROOKS, SAID SECOND CROSS MEMBER BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED AROUND THE CROOKS FROM SAID FIRST CROSS MEMBER, SAID CROSS MEMBERS HAVING LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED PIPE GUIDING RIBS FIXED THERETO, AND A PIPE POSITIONING AND CLAMPING ASSEMBLY EXTENDING BETWEEN AND PIVOTED ON THE JAW SHANKS AT THEIR FREE ENDS. 